"Michael Swanwick - The Feast of Saint Janis" - читать интересную книгу автора (Swanwick Michael)

go.тАЭ
тАЬHawk, youтАЩve got to listen to me.тАЭ
Hawk held up a hand for silence. тАЬItтАЩs about the drugs, right? You just
found out and you want me to warn her.тАЭ
тАЬWarning her isnтАЩt good enough. Someone has to stop her.тАЭ
тАЬYes, well. Try to understand, Maggie was in Hopkins for three months
while they performed some very drastic surgery on her. She didnтАЩt look a
thing like she does now, and she could sing but her voice wasnтАЩt anything
to rave about. Not to mention the mental implants.
тАЬImagine the pain she went through. Now ask yourself what are the two
most effective painkillers in existence?тАЭ
тАЬMorphine and heroin. But in my country, when drugs are resorted to,
the doctors wean the patients off them before their release.тАЭ
тАЬThatтАЩs not the point. Consider thisтАФMaggie could have had Hopkins
remove the extra nipples. They could have done it. But she wasnтАЩt willing
to go through the pain.тАЭ
тАЬShe seems proud of them.тАЭ
тАЬShe talks about them a lot, at least.тАЭ
The train lurched and stumbled. Three of the musicians had uncrated
their guitars and were playing more тАЬDeadтАЭ music. Wolf chewed his lip in
silence for a time, then said, тАЬSo what is the point youтАЩre making?тАЭ
 тАЬSimply that Maggie was willing to undergo the greater pain so that she
could become Janis. So when I tell you she only uses drugs as painkillers,
you have to understand that IтАЩm not necessarily talking about physical
pain.тАЭ Hawk got up and left.
Maggie danced into the car. тАЬBig time!тАЭ she whooped. тАЬWe made it into
the big time, boys and girls. Hey, letтАЩs party!тАЭ



The next ten days were one extended party, interspersed with concerts.
The reception in Wilmington was phenomenal. Thousands came to see the
show; many were turned away. Maggie was unsteady before the first
concert, achingly afraid of failure. But she played a rousing set, and was
called back time and time again. Finally exhausted and limp, her hair
sticking to a sweaty forehead, she stood up front and gasped, тАЬThatтАЩs all
there is, boys and girls. I love ya and I wish there was more to give ya, but
there ainтАЩt. You used it all up.тАЭ And the applause went on and on ...
The four shows in Philadelphia began slowly, but built up big. A few
seats were unsold at the first concert; people were turned away for the
second. The last two were near-riots. The group entrained to Newark for a
dayтАЩs rest and put on a Labor Day concert that made the previous efforts
look pale. They stayed in an obscure hostel for an extra dayтАЩs rest.
Wolf spent his rest day sight-seeing. While in Philadelphia he had hired
a native guide and prowled through the rusting refinery buildings at
Breeze Point. They rose to the sky forever in tragic magnificence, and it
was hard to believe there had ever been enough oil in the world to all the
holding tanks there. In Wilmington, he let the local guide lead him to a
small Italian neighborhood to watch a religious festival.
The festival was a parade, led first by a priest trailed by eight altar girls,